Seals have been spotted chasing, capturing and mounting penguins in a bid to mate with them.
Researchers on a remote island in the Indian Ocean have recorded at least four incidents.
On one occasion the seal killed the penguin and ate it after.
‘Determining the drivers of the unusual behaviour is nearly impossible,’ explained the researchers.
‘However, we speculate as to what may have ultimately led to the sexual coercion of individuals from these very different species.’
The odd sexual behaviour was spotted once before in 2006.
